History AlternativeCharacterInterpretation / DoctorWho

** A lot of the criticisms that Amy faces can be said the same for Rose, but RTD fans seem to overlook because Rose was their first companion.

** Which in turn results in disaster for the UK (and indeed, the entire Earth) for years to come, as first the Master and then the Children of Earth government succeed her, instead of Britain's Golden Age occurring. Apparently by Eleven's time, ItGotBetter.

*** With regards to [[spoiler: Rassilon and the High Council]], who imprison him in a horrific torture chamber in "Heaven Sent" and are the season's FinalBoss, is the bitter Doctor's subsequent choice to [[spoiler: bloodlessly overthrow and exile them to wherever they can find a home]] in "Hell Bent" as cruel and cowardly as his detractors suggest it is -- driven by a need to protect himself from further wrath, especially when his intent to [[spoiler: save Clara and flee Gallifrey]] (which they certainly would have tried to stop him from achieving) is revealed? Or is it far more merciful than they deserve given that they not only [[spoiler: paved the way for Clara's death and let Gallifrey's greatest hero, now grieving, suffer for ''billions of years'']] but also [[spoiler: were the architects of the Last Great Time War which slaughtered untold innocents across space and time]]; is it possible he even did it to ''protect them from his wrath?'' Or, DrivenToMadness as he is by this point, is he too focused on his plan to consider these issues and the possible consequences of his choices?

** This Doctor is noticeably empathetic and/or compassionate to antagonists when he understands their plight -- just ask the Teller, the Skovox Blitzer, the Foretold, Missy, Davros, and Bonnie the Zygon. But the Series 9 endgame has exceptions that beg the question of his motivations.

*** With regards to [[spoiler: Rassilon and the High Council]] trapping and torturing him in "Heaven Sent", is the Doctor's subsequent choice to [[spoiler: bloodlessly overthrow and exile them to wherever they can find a home]] in "Hell Bent" as cruel and cowardly as his detractors suggest it is, driven by a need to protect himself from further wrath? Or is it far more merciful than they deserve given that [[spoiler: not only did they let him suffer for ''billions of years'', but they were also the architects of the Last Great Time War that slaughtered untold innocents across space and time]]? Or, DrivenToMadness as he is by this point, is he just too concerned with [[spoiler: getting the means to save Clara and flee his homeworld]] to consider these issues and the possible consequences of his choice?

*** With regards to [[spoiler: Rassilon and the High Council]] trapping and torturing him in "Heaven Sent", is the Doctor's subsequent choice to [[spoiler: bloodlessly overthrow and exile them to wherever they can find a home]] in "Hell Bent" as cruel and cowardly as his detractors suggest it is, driven by a need to protect himself and an unwillingness to admit that his torment was partially a SelfInflictedHell? Or is it far more merciful than they deserve given that [[spoiler: they were also the architects of the Last Great Time War that slaughtered untold innocents across space and time]]? Or, DrivenToMadness as he was by this point, was he just too concerned with [[spoiler: getting the means to save Clara and fleeing his homeworld]] to consider these issues and the possible consequences of his choice?

* Ashildr (or "Me"): A classic case of ImmortalityImmorality? An UngratefulBitch who used the opportunities she had been given to selfish ends? An AntiVillain who demonstrates that The Doctor's benevolence has unforeseen consequences? TheSociopath? A JerkassWoobie who went more than a little cracked in the head from having an immortal life and a human memory? Someone who is trying to do the right thing, and just ends up blowing it instead? And does she [[EarnYourHappyEnding earn her happy ending]] in [[spoiler: becoming Clara's companion]], or is she a KarmaHoudini who gets away with [[spoiler: betraying the Doctor and inadvertently paving the way for Clara's death]]?

** Also regarding Davros: were the heartfelt conversations in "The Witch's Familiar" between him and the Doctor a ruse to trick the Doctor or was there some hint that at least some of it was genuine.
* Ashildr (or "Me"): A classic case of ImmortalityImmorality? An UngratefulBitch who used the opportunities she had been given to selfish ends? An AntiVillain who demonstrates that The Doctor's benevolence has unforeseen consequences? TheSociopath? A JerkassWoobie who has gone more than a little cracked in the head from having an immortal life and a human memory? Someone who is trying to do the right thing, and just ends up blowing it instead?

** With regards to Clara over both seasons: Is his interest in her purely platonic, or is he [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy simply holding back for fear of ruining her life?]] Is he a bad influence on her, turning her into a callous adrenaline junkie and all-too-"breakable" heroine, or did the two, contrary to Missy's apparent assumptions when she brought them together, have similar personalities to begin with, including character flaws like ego and secretiveness -- but also their good traits? For his part, the Doctor becomes convinced [[ItsAllMyFault it's all his fault]] that her fate is what it is, though he is told otherwise by her and others, and his actions in the final three episodes of Series 9 confirm that he genuinely loves her in a way he hasn't loved anyone since Rose Tyler; he just doesn't express this in conventional ways.

* In regards to Eleven's treatment of Clara: is he genuinely trying to protect her because he fears her dying again and is still scarred by his separation from the Ponds, or is he being creepy, obsessive, and depriving her of her agency by withholding information she really ought to know. Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS especially divided fans on that last point.

** Series 8: Are the occasional situations where he leaves Clara on her own a SecretTestOfCharacter that might rightfully be classified as patronizing mindgames, or does he simply know that she is capable and is willing to use her abilities in a pinch because he respects her? Did he get "darker", or is he simply less afraid to show his imperfections and the rougher edges of his personality that were there all along, in line with Vashtra's speech, and just downplayed to avoid weirding out the companions? Are his quips about Clara's appearance due to [[InnocentlyInsensitive scatterbrainedness]], an inability to perceive her as attractive, or at least partially deliberate payback after her remarks about his new face hit him straight in the ego?

** In the Series 9 finale "Hell Bent", is he ''just'' a Time Lord Victorious 2.0 in his mad efforts to [[spoiler: save Clara's life]]? Is his SanitySlippage to be blamed only on his not summoning the inner strength to move on from a colossal tragedy and instead giving into grief and rage...or might he have been able to do so had he not been thrown into a lonely torture chamber, designed to prey on his fears and weaknesses, '''right after said tragedy happened''', which could only encourage said grief and rage? Should those who condemn his DrivenToMadness actions and show NoSympathy or even comprehension towards his plight, such as Ohila, consider mending fences with him once he's back to normal, a sadder and wiser man?
** Also in Series 9: Is his tendency to "zip zip zip zip zip, getting into scrapes" across the universe rather than stick around to witness/address the long-term consequences of such actions as saving Ashildr, setting up the human-Zygon peace, etc. -- one not unique to this incarnation by any means -- thoughtless abandonment on his part? Or are those who complain about said consequences too often using him as a scapegoat for their own failures to continue where he leaves off and inability to accept that no solution is perfect/will make everybody perfectly happy? He can't hold ''everybody's'' hand ''all'' the time, and he does make efforts to keep tabs on the two aforementioned events.
** With regards to Clara over both seasons: Is his interest in her purely platonic, or is he [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy simply holding back for fear of ruining her life?]] Is he a bad influence on her that turns her into a callous adrenaline junkie, or did the two -- contrary to Missy's apparent assumptions -- have similar personalities to begin with, including character flaws like ego and secretiveness -- but also their good traits? For his part, the Doctor becomes convinced [[ItsAllMyFault it's all his fault]] that her fate is what it is, though he is told otherwise by her and others.
* The Eighth Doctor in "The Night of the Doctor". Was he trying to save Cass by staying on the ship till it crashed? Or effectively killing himself out of despair, feeling he should do so if he was unable to save anybody?

* Clara Oswald: Loving woman unafraid of speaking her mind when the Doctor says something she doesn't like, who makes some bad decisions that have unexpected negative consequences -- or an egotistical control freak who cannot let anything she does not like happen and lies to protect herself? On that note, are the adrenaline junkie and more "Doctorish" traits she picks up by the end of Series 8 a result of her travels and the Doctor's influence, or were they always there and just recently brought to the surface? This is a key question in Series 9, in which she firmly becomes the Doctor's DistaffCounterpart. When her choices lead to catastrophe in "Face the Raven", the Doctor's actions for the remainder of the season partially stem from his belief that [[ItsAllMyFault he could have done more to prevent her from becoming like him]] -- but as noted above, other characters disagree.

** Series 9: Is his choice in "The Girl Who Died" to save Ashildr in a way that makes her immortal a selfish outgrowth of self-pity, guilt, and grief over all the loss he's experienced in his lives -- both companions who inevitably leave him and one-shot characters who die in the course of his adventures, often via helping him -- that he hasn't learned to accept and cope with? Or is it a noble effort to rise above his PragmaticHero tendencies (seen most recently in "Before the Flood", in which he takes special trouble to save a companion but not a one-shot character) and truly hold himself to his chosen title, an act that proves he can see the preciousness of every life and resents the cruel laws of nature that keep striking them down? Or is it a bit of both?
** In the Series 9 finale "Hell Bent", is he ''just'' a Time Lord Victorious 2.0? Is his SanitySlippage to be blamed only on his not summoning the inner strength to move on from a colossal tragedy and instead giving into grief and rage, or might he have been able to do so had his enemies not '''knowingly and immediately''' tossed him into a torture chamber designed to prey on his fears and weaknesses right after said tragedy happened, which only encouraged said grief and rage? Should those who condemn his DrivenToMadness actions, such as Ohila, consider mending fences with him once he's back to normal, a sadder and wiser man?
** Also in Series 9: Is his tendency to zip from adventure to adventure rather than stick around to witness/address the long-term consequences of his actions (saving Ashildr, setting up the human-Zygon peace, etc.) -- one not unique to this incarnation by any means -- thoughtless abandonment on his part? Or are those who complain about said consequences too often using him as a scapegoat for their own failures to continue where he leaves off and inability to accept that no solution is perfect/will make everybody perfectly happy? He can't hold ''everybody's'' hand ''all'' the time.

* And then there's Adric from the Classic Series. Was he an [[TheScrappy annoying brat]] who [[InsufferableGenius thought he knew it all]], repeatedly rubbed people the wrong way, went into a sulk at the smallest slight to his ego . . . and so on? Or was he a troubled teen who simply craved attention and approval?

* And then there's Adric from the Classic Series. Is he an [[TheScrappy annoying brat]] who [[InsufferableGenius thinks he knows it all]], repeatedly rubs people the wrong way, goes into a sulk at the smallest slight to his ego . . . and so on? Or is he a troubled teen who feels like an outsider, a situation exacerbated by the fact that, following the events of "Warriors' Gate", he moves into what is to him an unfamiliar universe?

** There is a theory that the experiences of the previous Doctor influence the new Doctor. The 5th Doctor tried to be nice and didn't have a forceful personality, yet his adventures often involved a lot of death, including those of two of his companions. He was forced to watch helplessly as a space freighter crashed into the prehistoric Earth with Adric trapped on board and later had to destroy Kamelion, the second (and, to date, last) robotic companion to feature in the series. The 6th Doctor might be a reaction to that, he hopes that a reversal of the 5th Doctor's personality will prevent more death and misery.

** There is a theory that the experiences of the previous Doctor influence the new Doctor. The 5th Doctor tried to be nice and didn't have a forceful personality, yet his adventures often involved a lot of death. The 6th Doctor might be a reaction to that, he hopes that a reversal of the 5th Doctor's personality will prevent more death and misery.

** Series 9: As the Doctor's long-standing ChronicHeroSyndrome continues to plague him, is his growing desperation to save others from dying if he can help it -- even if it takes extreme measures that have downsides for the people saved, as in the case of Ashildr -- a selfish outgrowth of self-pity and grief over all the loss he's experienced in his lives that he hasn't learned to cope with, or a noble effort to hold himself to his chosen title that sees the preciousness of every life and resents the cruel laws of nature that keep striking them down, or a little of both? The final stretch of the season has him undergoing a SanitySlippage in which the former interpretation ''temporarily'' becomes the canon one, alas. With that in mind...

** In the Series 9 finale "Hell Bent", is he ''just'' a Time Lord Victorious 2.0? He is tossed into a torture chamber at a time at a time of great personal anguish, and his enemies know he is struggling to remain the Doctor; is it fair for the resultant warping of his sanity to be blamed only on his not sucking it up, letting go, and taking the path of least resistance? Should those who condemn his DrivenToMadness actions, such as Ohila, consider mending fences with him once he's back to normal, a sadder and wiser man?

* This carries on another of Eleven's major companions, River Song. Is she an egotistical psychopath who cares more about herself and the Doctor than doing what's good? Should she be pitied because of his twisting path and time-line which has blasted every possibility of a normal life from her? Is she too dependent on the Doctor, to the point where he's her only reason for being, and if that's true, should we interpret this as just part of her character, or [[GirlsNeedRoleModels a bad thing]]? Or considering that she teaches at a university and willingly breaks in and out of prison, is she ''independent'' and free to do as she likes, which occasionally involves the Doctor?
* Clara Oswald: Loving woman unafraid of speaking her mind when The Doctor says something she doesn't like, who makes some bad decisions that have unexpected negative consequences -- or an egotistical control freak who cannot let anything she does not like happen and lies to protect herself? On that note, are the adrenaline junkie and more "Doctorish" traits she picks up by the end of Series 8 a result of her travels and the Doctor's influence, or were they always there and just recently brought to the surface? This is a key question in Series 9, in which she firmly becomes the Doctor's DistaffCounterpart. When her choices lead to catastrophe in "Face the Raven", the Doctor's actions for the remainder of the season partially stem from his belief that [[ItsAllMyFault he could have done more to prevent her from becoming like him]].

* The Twelfth Doctor might be the broodiest, most introspective incarnation yet. He openly wonders about what kind of man he really is and is becoming -- i.e. how he should be interpreted. Thus, some of the following questions are actually addressed in-series as he undergoes a lot of CharacterDevelopment.

** Series 9: As the Doctor's long-standing ChronicHeroSyndrome continues to plague him, is his growing desperation to save others from dying if he can help it -- even if it takes extreme measures that have downsides for the people saved, as in the case of Ashildr -- a selfish outgrowth of self-pity and grief over all the loss he's experienced in his lives that he hasn't learned to cope with, or a noble effort to hold himself to his chosen title that sees the preciousness of every life and resents the cruel laws of nature that keep striking them down? The final stretch of the season has him undergoing a SanitySlippage in which the former interpretation ''temporarily'' becomes the canon one, but with regards to his actions in "Hell Bent", is he a Time Lord Victorious 2.0 -- or more a victim of the abhorrent actions of others? He is tossed into a torture chamber at a time at a time of great personal anguish; is the resultant warping of his sanity all his fault for not sucking it up and letting go, or does he warrant compassion rather than WhatTheHellHero speeches and [[spoiler: a mind wipe]]?
** Also in Series 9: Is his tendency to zip from adventure to adventure rather than stick around to witness/address the long-term consequences of his actions (saving Ashildr, setting up the human-Zygon peace, etc.) -- one not unique to this incarnation by any means -- thoughtless abandonment on his part? Or are those who complain about said consequences too often using him as a scapegoat for their own failure to continue where he leaves off and inability to accept that no solution is perfect/will make everybody perfectly happy? He can't hold ''everybody's'' hand ''all'' the time.

** The way he treats his clone in "Journey's End" seems bizzare. For them wiping out the Daleks the Doctor treats them [[InformedWrongness like a monster]] and exiles them to a parallel world. Yet they were [[StrawmanHasAPoint completely justified]] in doing so, as the Daleks were only incapacitated and had come very close to destroying entire Universes. What else was 10 expecting him to do? Give them another chance after they have kept proving themselves to be AlwaysChaoticEvil apart from very rare exceptions? In a similar situation in "The Poison Sky" 10 feels he has to give the Sontarans a chance before he activates a weapon to destroy them, even though he knows it is very unlikely they'll take it and he'll get killed by doing this. Before that in "The Fires of Pompeii" he and Donna wipe out the Pyroviles to save Earth, even though this kills 20,000 innocent people, though this is a fixed point in time. Is 10 a jerkass who obsessively follow his hypocritical and obviously-flawed moral code to the point of TooDumbToLive and treats anybody who doesn't agree with him, no matter how valid their reasons, like a monster?

*** Or that, because he was such a jerk to [[OppositeSexClone Jenny]], that he wasn't going to abandon and make the same mistake with another "offspring" of his. He's not that great of a parent or parental figure and knows it (see Susan and Ace), so maybe the best option was to leave him behind with someone who made a very good MoralityChain.

* Clara Oswald: loving woman unafraid of speaking her mind when The Doctor says something she doesn't who makes some bad decision that have unexpected negative consequences or an egotistical control freak who cannot let anything she does not like happen and lies to protect herself? On that note is the adrenaline junkie and more "doctorish" traits she picks up at the end of Series 8 a result of her travels or where they always there and just recently brought to the surface.

** Series 9: As the Doctor's long-standing ChronicHeroSyndrome continues to plague him, is his growing desperation to save others from dying if he can help it -- even if takes extreme measures that have downsides for the people saved, as in the case of Ashildr -- a selfish outgrowth of self-pity and grief over all the loss he's experienced in his lives that he hasn't learned to cope with, or a noble effort to hold himself to his chosen title that sees the preciousness of every life and resents the cruel laws of nature that keep striking them down? The final stretch of the season has him undergoing a SanitySlippage in which the former interpretation ''temporarily'' becomes the canon one, but with regards to his actions in "Hell Bent", is he a Time Lord Victorious 2.0 -- or more a victim of the abhorrent actions of others? He is tossed into a torture chamber at a time at a time of great personal anguish; is the resultant warping of his sanity entirely his fault for not sucking it up and letting go, or does he warrant compassion rather than WhatTheHellHero speeches and [[spoiler: a mind wipe]]?

* The Twelfth Doctor undergoes a lot of CharacterDevelopment, so questions about him change with his seasons. There's also a lot of in-universe discussion of the ways he can be seen.

** Series 9: Is his ChronicHeroSyndrome and desperation to save others from dying if he can help it -- even if he must go to extreme measures that have downsides for the people saved, as in the case of Ashildr -- a selfish outgrowth of his self-pity and grief over all the loss he's experienced in his lives, or a noble effort to hold himself to his chosen title that sees the preciousness of every life? The final stretch of the season has him undergoing a SanitySlippage in which the former interpretation ''temporarily'' becomes the canon one, but with regards to his actions in "Hell Bent", is he a Time Lord Victorious 2.0 or a man mentally crippled by the abhorrent actions of others who warrants compassion rather than WhatTheHellHero speeches and [[spoiler: a mind wipe]]? Also, is his tendency to zip from adventure to adventure rather than stick around to witness/address the long-term consequences of his actions (saving Ashildr, setting up the human-Zygon peace, etc.) -- one not unique to this incarnation by any means -- thoughtless abandonment on his part? Or are those who complain about said consequences too often using him as a scapegoat for their own failures to continue where he leaves off -- he can't hold ''everybody's'' hand ''all'' the time?
** With regards to Clara over both seasons: Is his interest in her purely platonic, or is he [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy simply holding back for fear of ruining her life?]] Is he a bad influence on her that turns her into a callous adrenaline junkie, or did the two simply have similar personalities to begin with, including character flaws like ego and secretiveness -- but also their good traits? Notably, the Doctor wonders about and discusses the latter question in-universe, especially in Series 9, becoming convinced [[ItsAllMyFault it's all his fault]] that her fate is what it is.

* The Twelfth Doctor undergoes a lot of CharacterDevelopment, so questions about him change with his seasons.

** Series 9: Is his ChronicHeroSyndrome and desperation to save others from dying if he can help it -- even if he must go to extreme measures that have downsides for the people saved, as in the case of Ashildr -- a selfish outgrowth of his self-pity and grief over all the loss he's experienced in his lives, or a noble effort to hold himself to his chosen title that sees the preciousness of every life? The final stretch of the season has him undergoing a SanitySlippage in which the former interpretation ''temporarily'' becomes the canon one. And with regards to his actions in "Hell Bent", is he a Time Lord Victorious 2.0 or a man mentally crippled by the abhorrent actions of others who warrants compassion rather than WhatTheHellHero speeches and [[spoiler: a mind wipe]]?

* The Twelfth Doctor - are those ocassional situations where he leaves Clara on her own SecretTestofCharacter that might rightfully be classified as patronizing mindgames, or does he simply know that she is capable and willing to use her abilities in a pinch, because he respects her? Did he get "darker", or is he simply less afraid to show his imperfections and the rougher edges of his personality that were there all along, in line with Vashtra's speech, just downplayed to avoid weirding out the companions? Are his quips about Clara's appearance due to [[InnocentlyInsensitive scatterbrainedness]], an inability to perceive her as attractive, or at least partially deliberate payback after her remarks about his new face hit him straight in the ego? Is his interest in Clara purely platonic, or is he [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy simply holding back for fear of ruining her life?]] Is he a bad influence on her that is turning her into a callous adrenaline junkie, or did the two simply have similar personalities to begin with, including character flaws like ego and secretiveness but also their good traits? et cetera et cetera.

* Was the Fourth Doctor Asexual or just only into Gallifreyans?

** "Time Crash" posed another theory that works on even a meta level. Five was a sweet, gentle soul who wanted to travel the universe, make friends, and solve conflicts. Unfortunately, the universe tended to repay Five with horrible luck and a high body count. Eight was also much the same way - out to have fun and merciful to a fault...which ended with the Time War and a potential Companion committing suicide out of fear of him. Ten ''really'' wanted the same things as Five and Eight, but knew all too well that the universe was going to punish him for it, so he developed a DoUntoOthersBeforeTheyDoUntoUs streak that Seven would have approved.

*** Or that, because he was such a jerk to [[OppositeSexClone Jenny]], that he wasn't going to abandon and make the same mistake with another "offspring" of his. He not that great of a parent or parental figure (see Susan and Ace), so maybe the best option was to leave him behind with someone who made a very good MoralityChain.
** "Time Crash" posed another theory that works on even a meta level. Five was a sweet, gentle soul who wanted to travel the universe, make friends, and solve conflicts. Unfortunately, the universe tended to repay Five with horrible luck and a high body count. Eight was also much the same way - out to have fun and merciful to a fault...which ended with the time War and a potential Companion committing suicide out of fear of him. Ten ''really'' wanted the same things as Five and Eight, but knew all too well that the universe was going to punish it, so developed a DoUntoOthersBeforeTheyDoUntoUs streak that Seven would have approved.